System for managing online transactions involving voice talent

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating online interactions between voice talent users and employer users. The online web-based system has an online store module, a voice talent database module, an open job database module, a negotiation module, and a payment module. The online system allows the employer users to search for a suitable voice talent user, preview the specific voice talent user's demonstration voice clip, and contact the voice talent user. The online store module allows the voice talent user to upload generic pre-recorded voice clips and which may be purchased and downloaded by employer users for their own purposes. The open job database allows employer users to upload contracts and jobs for which they need voice talent. The employer user may upload requirements for the contract, a sample of the script, and a payment range for the contract. Voice talent users may search and/or browse the open jobs database and they may respond to the posted open contract with a proposal by way of the negotiation module. The voice talent user may also upload a demonstration voice clip with their proposal to the relevant employer user by way of the negotiation. The payment module allows payment for completed contracts to be exchanged between employer users and voice talent users with the system administrator/operator as a go-between and as an escrow agent.

1 . An online system for facilitating transactions between voice talent users and employer users, the system comprising:
 an online store module for storing prerecorded sound files recorded by said voice talent users for purchase by said employer users;   a database module for storing in a database and managing information and demonstration sound files relating to voice talent users, said database being searchable by said employer users for voice talent users who meet predetermined criteria set by said employer users, said information and demonstration sound files for specific voice talent users being retrievable and accessible to said employer users;   an open job database module for storing in a job database and managing job information relating to contracts offered by said employer users for fulfillment by said voice talent users, said job database being searchable by said voice talent users;   a negotiation module for use in communications between said voice talent users and said employer users, said communications being related to said contracts, said negotiation module allowing at least one voice talent user to select a contract from said job database and to send a proposal regarding said contract to a relevant employer user, said negotiation module also allowing said relevant employer user to communicate an acceptance, rejection, or modification of said proposal to said voice talent user;   a payment module for receiving payment for prerecorded sound files purchased using said online store module and for receiving contract payments from employer users for proposals which have been accepted by said employer user, said contract payments being released to relevant voice talent users upon completion of a milestone in a contract and upon approval by said employer user;   
       wherein said system provides voice talent users an option to hide said voice talent user's true identity. 
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said online store module is also for storing and managing files relating to voice acting and a voice-over industry, said files being downloadable by users for a fee. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said database module ranks said voice talent users when presenting search results to an employer user. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3  wherein said database module ranks said voice talent users based on at least one of:
 a recency of a voice talent user's completion of a profile 
 a type of membership or account said voice talent user has in an organization hosting said online system 
 a number of positive comments regarding said voice talent user's fulfillment of contracts for employer users 
 a presence or absence of a sound file of said voice talent user's voice 
 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said online store module allows voice talent users to upload prerecorded sound files to said system, said sound files being for purchase. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said negotiation module allows voice talent users to upload sample sound files with proposals being sent to relevant employer users in response to contracts offered on said job database. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said milestone comprises completion of a predetermined portion of a relevant contract. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said payment module notifies relevant voice talent users of funds deposited by relevant employer users and which are awaiting completion of said milestone before being released to said relevant voice talent users. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein voice talent user entries in said database are tagged by specific keywords. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 9  wherein said voice talent user entries in said database are searchable by said specific keywords.